Group for religion tag to Lingayats detained ? ? ?

: A group, which tried to stage a demonstration near Basaveshwara statue here today demanding a separate religion tag to Lingayats ahead of BJP president Amit Shah's visit, was detained, police said.

? ?Shah garlanded the statue of the 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara on his birth anniversary celebrated as "Basava Jayanti", a public holiday.

? ?The police said the protesters, claiming to be from a group related to Lingayat community, carried posters demanding a separate religion status and tried to proceed towards the venue near the State Secretariat - Vidhana Soudha. ? ? ?They wanted to seek Shah's response to the community's demand.

"We detained them as a preventive measure," a police official said.

? ?Shah is on a two-day visit to the city from today as part of the seventh leg of his tour of Karnataka to boost the BJP's prospects in the May 12 Assembly polls.

? ? ?BJP has been criticising the Siddaramaiah government's move towards granting "religious minority" tag to Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats ahead of the Assembly polls as an attempt to divide the Hindu community.

? ? ?The State Cabinet had on March 19 decided to recommend to the Centre grant of religious minority tag to the Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats. ? ? ?The State government's decision was based on the report of an expert committee that had recommended considering grant of recognition as religious minority to the Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats (believers of Basava Tatva (philosophy).

? Subsequently, the Karnataka Minorities Welfare Department notified the Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats as a religious minority, but said it would come into effect after the Centre's approval of recommendation.

? ? The Siddaramaiah government's move is seen as a bid to cut into the Lingayat vote base of the BJP, which is stated to enjoy their support. ? ? ? ?During his visits, Shah has been reaching out to the Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats, meeting their seers and holding meetings with their groups apparently to ensure that the Congress does not cut into its voter base.